Means and method for making heater elements



April 25, 1967 s, M. STERLING MEANS AND METHOD FOR MAKING HEATER ELEMENTS Filed Feb. 11, 1964 INVENTOR JZ mz/a MPH Q7662 w;

ATI'ORNEYY United States Patent 3,315,334 MEANS AND METHOD FOR MAKING HEATER ELEMENTS Samuel Martin Sterling, 35-25 61st St., Woodside, N.Y. 11377 Filed Feb. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 344,040 5 Claims. (Cl. 29--155.64)

This invention relates to a means and method for making heater elements. One such type of element is commonly known as a Cal-Rod.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective means for manufacturing rod-like heater elements.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple means for filling an enclosing tube for a rod-like heater element with heater material such as powdered magnesium oxide.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple tool having valve components which may be operated to impregnate the heater element tube.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a method for conveniently and simply forming a plurality of rod-like heater element tubes with magnesium oxide.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of the applicator tube of my invention;

FIGURES 2 to 6 represent various stages in the method for applying magnesium oxide to the heater element stage.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a long cylindrical metallic tube or rod 10 having a hook portion 12 at its lower end. Surrounding the lower end and mounted in slidable fashion is a short metallic covering tube 14 which bears against an undercut in the lowermost portion of tube 10 to limit its upward travel. The covering tube 14 may be moved downward to cover the hook 12 for a purpose which will be described later. A valve tubing means 20, comprising an inner tube 22 and a concentric outer tube 24, is arranged so as to be telescopically mounted over tube 10. Concentric tubes 22 and 24 are integrally connected by a brazing or weld as indicated at 26. The lowermost portion of the outer tube 24 includes a plurality of valve openings 28. The uppermost portion of outer tube 24 contains a flange arrangement 29 which may be described as a stepped collar which acts as a stop for a flexible spring-like tubing 46. The upper surface of flexible tubing 46 bears against the lowermost portion of the upper step of flange 29 so as to hold it securely in place.

A valve covering tubing 40 has an upper flange 42 which engages the lowermost portion of the flexible tubing 46. When the flexible tubing 46 is in its expanded position, the lowermost portion of the valve covering tubing 40 surrounds the valve openings 28. When the valve covering tubing is moved upwardly to compress the flexible tubing 46, valve openings 28 are exposed. As will be apparent, the space between inner tube 22 and outer tube 24 defines a passage through which the magnesium oxide may flow and ultimately emerge from the valve openings 28.

As illustrated in FIGURES 2 to 6, the single extending rod 10 is fastened to a fixed frame 50. During the entire operation, rod 10 remains in the same position. A housing or heater element tubing is illustrated by numeral 52 and is held in position by a clamp or grip diagram- 3,3 15,334 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 rr e matically illustrated at 54. Although not shown, it will be understood that there are movable means which are coupled to the clamp 54 so as to control its vertical motion upon manual operation. The heater element tubing 52 has swaged or inwardly pressed sections 53. In the initial stage of the manufacture of the heater element, the heater element tubing 52 is moved to the maximum upward position so as to leave the book 12 exposed. As shown in FIGURE 3, an electrical heater element wire 55 is fastened to the hook 12. The heater wire has a head 55a which may be gripped by the hook. Covering tubing 14 may be lowered to secure head 55. Attached to the lowermost portion of the wire, is a flexible "washer 56 which has a diameter somewhat greater than the effective diameter of the swaging 53.

In FIG. 4, the gripping means 54 has been displaced vertically downward a substantial distance so that the wire 55 is stretched and the washer 56 is engaged and pressed down by the swaging 53. At this time, magnesium oxide may be passed through the passageway between tubings 22 and 24. During the next stage, illustrated in FIGURE 5, a separate gripping means illustrated by numeral 60 in FIGURE 5 is actuated so as to compress and keep compressed the flexible housing 46 and to open the valve openings 28. Previous to this, a third gripping means 61, which may grip the flange 29 or some other portion of valve tubing means 20 and covering 40 forces valve tubing means 20 and the valve covering 40 to its lowermost position Thereafter, suitable means may be used to vertically lift the gripping means 60 and 61 so that the magnesium oxide may pass through the valve openings 28 so as to fill the tubing. The gripping means are not shown in each of the figures, but it will be understood that in FIGURE 6, the upward movement of the powder insertion means (i.e. valve tubing means 20 and covering tube 40) is controlled by the movement of the gripping means 60 and 61 which in turn are controlled by hydraulic or electrical or other equivalent power means. Similarly, the magnesium oxide supporting means and the means for inserting the magnesium oxide powder into the passageway are not shown since these are conventional. The magnesim oxide compacting means may take the form of a vibrator or any other conventional means or technique.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the extending rod 10' is intended to suggest a plurality of insertion elements which may be used to automatically and simultaneously fill a plurality of heater rods. These rods and the associated valve tubings, coverings, clamps may be supported on separate and respective yokes which may be actuated by respective motors, such as air cylinders.

While the foregoing description sets forth the principles of the invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation of the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for use in making heater r-od elements comprising a first rod having means to hold a wire, tubular valve means having inner and outer tubular members integrally connected at their lower ends, said outer tubular member having a plurality of openings at its lowermost end to define valve openings, said inner member being slidably mounted on said fixed rod, a passageway being defined between said tubular members to hold heater element material, a valve covering means enclosing said valve means, and means to displace said valve covering means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means to displace said valve means.

3. In a method for making a heater rod tubing with a valve means comprising a stationary rod, concentric tubes telescoped on said rod defining a passageway therebetween, and having valve openings in the lower region of the outer of said concentric tubes, and a valve cover tube, the steps of disposing a tubular housing having swaged lower sections about said stationary rod, attaching a heater wire to the lower part of said stationary rod, said housing being completely above said wire, said wire held by the swaged sections, vertically lowering said valve means and said housing by respective power means to extend said wire, passing heater forming material into the passageway, displacing said valve cover tube to open said valve, and moving the concentric tubes upwardly to fill said housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including means to position a tubular rod heater housing in the path of said tubular valve means, means to displace said tubular valve means relative to said housing, said means to displace said valve covering means including means to retain said covering means in an open position when said tubular valve means are displaced relative to said housing, whereby heater element material flows through said tubular valve means to fill said housing.

5. An apparatus for making a heater rod tubing with a valve means comprising a stationary rod, concentric tubes telescoped on said rod defining a passageway therebetween, and having valve openings in the lower region of the outer of said concentric tubes, and a valve cover tube, means for disposing a tubular housing having swaged lower sections about said stationary rod, attaching means for attaching a heater wire to the lower part of said stationary rod, said housing being completely above said wire, said Wire having means for support by the swaged sections, means for vertically lowering said valve means and said housing by respective power means to extend said wire, means for passing heater forming material into the passageway, means for displacing said valve cover tube to open said valve, and means for moving the concentric tubes upwardly to fill said housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,172 5/1954 Oakley 29l55.64 2,839,094 6/1958 Reno l41-263 X 2,973,572 3/1961 Oakley 29-15554 X JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

I. M. ROMANCHIK, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR USE IN MAKING HEATER ROD ELEMENTS COMPRISING A FIRST ROD HAVING MEANS TO HOLD A WIRE, TUBULAR VALVE MEANS HAVING INNER AND OUTER TUBULAR MEMBERS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS, SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS AT ITS LOWERMOST END TO DEFINE VALVE OPENINGS, SAID INNER MEMBER BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIXED ROD, A PASSAGEWAY BEING DEFINED BETWEEN SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS TO HOLD HEATER ELEMENT MATERIAL, A VALVE COVERING MEANS ENCLOSING SAID VALVE MEANS, AND MEANS TO DISPLACE SAID VALVE COVERING MEANS.
 3. IN A METHOD FOR MAKING A HEATER ROD TUBING WITH A VALVE MEANS COMPRISING A STATIONARY ROD, CONCENTRIC TUBES TELESCOPED ON SAID ROD DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY THEREBETWEEN, AND HAVING VALVE OPENINGS IN THE LOWER REGION OF THE OUTER OF SAID CONCENTRIC TUBES, AND A VALVE COVER TUBE, THE STEPS OF DISPOSING A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING SWAGED LOWER SECTIONS ABOUT SAID STATIONARY ROD, ATTACHING A HEATER WIRE TO THE LOWER PART OF SAID STATIONARY ROD, SAID HOUSING BEING COMPLETELY ABOVE SAID WIRE, SAID WIRE HELD BY THE SWAGED SECTIONS, VERTICALLY LOWERING SAID VALVE MEANS AND SAID HOUSING BY RESPECTIVE POWER MEANS TO EXTEND SAID WIRE, PASSING HEATER FORMING MATERIAL INTO THE PASSAGEWAY, DISPLACING SAID VALVE COVER TUBE TO OPEN SAID VALVE, AND MOVING THE CONCENTRIC TUBES UPWARDLY TO FILL SAID HOUSING. 